Retargeting Participants: How to Convert Sweepstakes Entrants into Customers

Running a sweepstakes can build your email list and grow your social following quickly, but what happens next?

Many brands leave value on the table by failing to retarget participants.

Read: The Secret Sauce Behind Viral Sweepstakes: Why Some Campaigns Explode While Others Fail

Turning sweepstakes entrants into customers requires a clear post-campaign strategy.

Here’s how to do it effectively.

Collect the Right Data Upfront

During your sweepstakes, gather:

• Email addresses (with opt-in for marketing)

• Social handles for retargeting ads

• Interest tags (via survey questions like “Which product are you most excited about?”)

This segmentation lets you send relevant follow-up messages instead of generic blasts.
 

Send a Warm Thank You Email

Immediately after the campaign ends:

• Thank participants for joining.

• Announce when winners will be contacted.

• Offer a small incentive (e.g., 10% off) to non-winners to encourage their first purchase.

This maintains the momentum while your brand is still top-of-mind.

Use Retargeting Ads on Social Media

Upload your entrant list to platforms like:

• Facebook Ads Manager

• Instagram Ads

• TikTok Ads

Run ads highlighting:

• Products featured in your giveaway.

• Customer testimonials.

• Special limited-time offers.

This keeps your brand in front of warm leads who are already familiar with your products.

Create a Welcome Series

Set up a post-sweepstakes email flow:

• Email 1: Thank you + exclusive offer

• Email 2: Product benefits or customer stories

• Email 3: Reminder about your exclusive offer

Tools like Klaviyo and Mailchimp help automate this series for consistency.

Track Conversions and Adjust

Monitor:

• Click-through rates

• Conversion rates from emails and retargeting ads

• Which product pages entrants visit most

Use this data to refine your future campaigns and tailor offers.

Why Retargeting Matters?

Without follow-up, sweepstakes become a one-time engagement with minimal long-term benefit. Retargeting entrants:

1. Converts them into paying customers

2. Increases ROI on your sweepstakes spend

3. Builds stronger customer relationships over time

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